


Our Path Series

by MinervaFeatherflight



Series: The Our Path Series (Remade) [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23859247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinervaFeatherflight/pseuds/MinervaFeatherflight
Summary: This series of semi-intertwined fanfictions follow the story of Byleth and Lysithea after 'The War for the Freedom of Fodlan' (The war of Imperial Year 1181) on the Verdant Wind route/story. Watch as the two of them get an expanded story starting from 1186 and stretching on into later in their days. This story really focuses on the future of Byleth and Lysithea and their lives as a whole.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Lysithea von Ordelia
Series: The Our Path Series (Remade) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1719355
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. A Night to Remember

**Author's Note:**

> Link to a Bysithea discord I run with many other AO3 Bysithea writers: https://discord.gg/8ZjK5zk 
> 
> The first three chapters were uploaded individually but I now am putting them together for the convenience of everyone involved. If you have read any of them before, please skip them unless you want a memory jog. Thank you for reading my 'technically' first series.

Imperial Year 1191

Day 17 of the Horsebow Moon

Garegg Mach Academy

Archbishop's Byleth's Room

Byleth sat cross-legged atop his bed facing the entrance to his room grasping a letter in his right hand with the largest smile Fodlan has ever seen stretched across his face. His eyes gleamed and his arms shaking with pure joy at the contents held within the letter. The Archbishop drew shaky breaths, and for once in his just over five years of being harried by his lengthy, strenuous tasks as head of the church, his brain felt truly at ease. If Varella, his favourite attendant saw him now, she'd probably think he had snapped under the pressure of his sacred duties. What could have made Byleth shake with glee? Every monk within the monastery serving under him knew that Byleth only ever expressed his giddiness over his one love, Lysithea. The letter Byleth had just read was written by Lysithea with many details concerning the last conference she had attended about the Ordelia territory and that she would be visiting Byleth at Garegg Mach in no less than eight hours after the letter was delivered to his hand. But there was one thing in that letter that really piqued his curiosity. The last line of the letter told him to not open the second letter she sent him until they met again. Byleth, who had been shaking ecstatically on his bed for the last three minutes, finally leapt up, pocketed Lysithea's letter, and without any care in the world, began tearing through the halls and down the stairs shouting various phrases such as "Lysithea's coming!" "My love is on her way!" "I'm the happiest man alive!" and "Thank the goddess Sothis!" to the monks, maids and travellers as he ran past. Not once did he slow down until he finally made it to the dining hall.

"Archbishop Byleth, whatever could have you sprinting down both flights of stairs? ...You didn't tease Flayn again, did you?" the head chef called out from behind a cupboard full of cooking supplies. 

"Oh nothing really..." Byleth responded sounding slightly short of breath. He did a large pirouette before rushing over to the head chef, who was busy moving different sized rolling pins around. "Just that my darling Lysithea is coming to visit me today!"

"That's wonderful news Archbishop!" the head chef responded, now climbing up off of the ground and dusting off his knees. "Will she be staying long?" 

"I'm not sure how long she'll be staying yet Luìs, but seeing as it isn't for a wedding or funeral, and we haven't had any special events planned out, I am expecting her to be leaving soon afterwards. Still, I wish to have a couple of cakes, as well as a few dozen chocolate chip cookies made for her return. Oh, and since you'll be cooking later with Mayella, could you let her know then to prepare an extra eight ham and turkey sandwiches with no onions? You know how Lysithea is with her vegetables."

"Of course Archbishop, I'll get my finest chefs on the job right this instant!" Luìs, now finished patting some flowers off of his worn down pant legs exclaimed. He had almost jogged out of sight before glancing back towards Byleth. "Oh, and, regarding the beverages?"

Byleth waved his hand in the air, signaling that he had the drinks under control."You needn't worry about them Luìs, you're a very busy man, I can at least take care of the apple juice and lemonade. I can't thank you enough for what you do."

"You're a good man Archbishop, Lysithea is a lucky woman to be with you." Luìs bowed, humbled by Byleth's words. "Just be careful that all those sweets don't catch up to you, take care of your teeth!"

"Of course friend. Thank you." Byleth called out to Luìs before he disappeared into the back of the kitchen shouting orders to the other chefs who were all listening in on the gossip. 

Byleth decided to go down to the marketplace and pick up the supplies he needed for drinks. It was convenient how close they were to the dining hall, but it was also a cover-up for his favourite spot in Garegg Mach. Just outside of the gates past the marketplace, if you turned left and walked along the castle walls about forty paces, you would come across a set of four bushes, which were used to hide away Byleth's secret spot. A crack in the wall that led twenty feet back into Garegg Mach and had the best hillside view if you walked down a short narrow path that Byleth had created over the last five years. At the end of this path was a gorgeous view of the sun, and if you could catch it at the right time of night, you would see the most beautiful sunset in your life. 

Byleth discovered it the fourth day of taking over Rhea's duties by accident after being fed up with trying to learn proper etiquette, manners, and being told how to respond to the many different letters and requests sent by the Leicester nobles. Byleth was grateful to Varella, who had become his favourite and most trusted assistant, but back then, he had actual nightmares about mountains of letters. Not all of them were requests for supplies, aid, or relations between Dagda and Brigid, there was a ton of appreciation letters and love letters, however, the stress of having to change his very attitude only a few days after conflict against Those Who Slither had come to an end proved to be a bit too taxing for him, and on the fourth night he stumbled into the bushes and found this small patch of land. Ever since then, even though it was a minor breach in the castle walls, Byleth had walked this path twice a week, over and over, until the path he and Lysithea were about to walk became worn down by his foot prints.

"This is the perfect spot for our candlelit picnic tonight!" Now all that's left to do is set it all up." Byleth closed his eyes, envisioning how Lysithea would react to this spot and the sunset. Knowing what she'd say brought a series of small chuckles and a warm smile to his face. "I can't wait to see her again. It's been seven months." Byleth began setting up the picnic blanket, basket which currently contained no sandwiches or cookies, unlit candles and pillow cushions, all while fantasizing about seeing his love before him again, in a romantic setting, but he couldn't stop his curiosity from nagging at him about the second letter he had in his pocket that Lysithea told him not to open yet. Nonetheless, Byleth promised himself not to look at the contents of the second letter so all he could do was count the extremely long seconds as they ticked by until he could talk to her again. He had so much to say, so many questions to ask, and most important of all, so much precious time to make up for, together.

Ten minutes until Lysithea arrives.

Byleth had switched out of his enlightened outfit and into his professor's outfit. He thought it would be fitting to greet her in the same attire he wore when he met her. Byleth, Luìs, and Varella, stood atop the stairs just before the entrance hall and had the maids and monks lined on either side of the marketplace stalls to greet Lysithea the moment she walked past the front gate. Byleth knew Lysthea wasn't ever one to want her relationship with Byleth out on display for everyone to see, but he figured he could greet her on this scale once since he had a feeling she came bearing some great news. Byleth had already lit the candles and had the cookies and sandwiches set up in the picnic basket so he made small talk with Luìs and Varella while waiting for Lysithea to come through the gates. His giddiness becoming too strong to contain, Byleth started to tap his left foot frantically against the chiseled stone pavement and was just about to cry out "How much longer?! I can't take it!" when Lysithea walked through the gate, feeling somewhat exhausted with her horse beside her. Lysithea, who had not expected such a royal welcome jumped a little when all in attendance excluding Byleth, whose face was lit up more than the sun itself shouted "Welcome back Lysithea!" 

Shocked, but happy to see Byleth, Lysithea ran up the aisle and was met halfway there by Byleth, who had also ran down the stairs. He grasped her tightly and embraced her gently, letting his warm body heat envelop her. He then very proudly whispered in her ear "Welcome home, my love." 

Twenty minutes after their tight embrace in front of the other attendants, and after Lysithea greeted some of the curious merchants and nearby townsfolk, the crowd dispersed, giving Byleth and Lysithea time to talk alone. Byleth asked if he could take Lysithea to a secret spot to stargaze under the slowly sinking sun for a while and catch up, and she agreed to follow him,even though his spot was slightly outside the castle walls, and when she and Byleth walked through the four bushes and she noticed there was a crack in the castle's defenses, the tactician part of her pointed out that it needed to be patched up. Byleth grinned from ear to ear when she said that, and muttered just loud enough for her to hear "Perfect." It was exactly what he thought she would say when he envisioned how she would respond when he was setting up the picnic earlier, and while they were walking along the short pathway to the spot on the hill, he explained what he meant to her. 

Little more than ten seconds later, the overjoyed couple came up to the hill spot Byleth picked out that overlooked the glorious sun that had already begun to cast a mixture of a tuscan and golden hue across the horizon from where they stood. 

"I have to admit though, this spot is absolutely breathtaking." Lysithea said slowly, unaware that she was gawking at the sight of the sun with her eyes wide open. "I can see why you didn't have this patched up. Byleth, how long have you hogged this beautiful scenery to yourself?"

"Far too long I'm afraid." Byleth responded. "At least now I can finally share this with you. I've waited over five years for this day to come, and I'm certain I never want it to end. Which I can do thanks to a certain progenitor god, right?" That last part was mumbled quietly enough that Lysithea couldn't hear."

"Hey!" A voice from inside Byleth's head shouted back at him. "You better not be thinking of using up my divine pulses for such a trivial occasion!"

Byleth then led Lysithea to her spot across from his and began unpacking the cookies and sandwiches.

"Aw, those are my favourite cookies!" Lysithea pointed out.

"I'll never forget your favourite cookies Lysithea," Byleth said endearingly as he gently touched her right hand and placed a cookie in it. "You're by far the most important person in my life after all."

The two of them began to talk to each other about some of the events that had happened while they were away from each other while digging into the food, and despite Byleth's attempt to have them both eat the sandwiches first by placing them closer to Lysithea, the cookies were the first to vanish.

Just after the two of them had finished all of the food, however, Lysithea brought up the one thing that Byleth had forgotten about after they reunited.

"Do you have that second letter I told you to bring?" She asked. 

Byleth pulled out the letter, his curiosity coming back in full force, and showed her that the seal was still intact.

"Please open it now." Lysithea requested with a wavering smile on her, while she tried to press back some happy tears.

Byleth gingerly broke the seal and opened up the letter, which contained a single sentence. When his eyes happened upon the sentence however, Byleth covered his mouth and found it impossible to choke back the streaming tears protruding from the outer corner of both eyes. This sentence, as simple as it was, brought forth the most emotion Byleth had ever displayed in his life, and through the shock of it all, Byleth was speechless; his eyes still fixated on the sentence in the letter. A couple seconds of stunned silence passed by before Byleth leapt to his feet, ran around the picnic blanket and knelt at Lysithea's side. His head collapsed into her chest and his arms were thrown around her body. In grasping hold of her, the letter which was now soaked with tears had see-sawed down, letter side up. The words on the paper read

"I've finally relinquished the Ordelia territory."

Byleth's tears were proud ones, and Lysithea in return wrapped her arms around Byleth, her cheeks flushed red and the two of them stayed in that position, motionless for another few moments of silence. Lysithea eventually wiped the tears off of Byleth's face and then her own. Byleth then sat down next to her, finally calm and able to draw steady breaths,and said "Now we can finally become married for real. We've waited and played pretend for five long years, but now that your wish has finally come to pass, I think it's time for me to give you this second ring that I have kept in this pocket the whole time to signify our union as one couple through marriage." Byleth reached into the left side lower pocket and pulled out a box and opened it in front of Lysithea. What she saw was a silver ring, and nothing more.

"The lack of stones embedded in it is to symbolize that there are now no burdens upon you and no crests embedded in you, just like this ring here. I wish for you to wear this, Lysithea. Will you marry me?"

Lysithea shed a few more happy tears. She hugged Byleth tightly and their lips briefly touched each others. She then held out her right hand for Byleth to slip the ring onto her pinky finger next to the first ring he had given her.

After he had slipped it on, they kissed once more and Lysithea, for the second time leaned her head on Byleth's shoulder. The two of them talked for a while, and long after the sun had set and the stars twinkled in the sky, Byleth stood up and started to pack away all the supplies he pulled out for the picnic into the basket he used to stow the food in. Lysithea joined him in packing it up and Byleth held the wicker basket in his right hand.

The two exchanged a few words, and decided they should head back to Byleth's room, which, from now on, would have one more resident. Hand in hand, Byleth and Lysithea began to walk back down the short, worn in path, but before they ducked back through the crack in the wall, Byleth turned his head to look back at the spot they just recently sat in and thought to himself. "Now I have two very special reasons to come back here. The memories we made here are invaluable, and be willing to die to protect them. This really, truly is a night to remember."

Fin.

Link to a Bysithea discord I run with many other AO3 Bysithea writers, artists and fans: https://discord.gg/8ZjK5zk

We're dedicated to our ship and we want to share our home and creativity with everyone here as well. With writers like myself, SuperbOwl, Kenji1104 and Hazeel and artists like dannex009, we offer a lot of conversation about the ship, the behind the scenes prompts, funny dialogue and even teasers to what is to come in our stories. Drop by and chat with us some time, just tell the others you discovered the server through me. (I'm kidding about that last part). <3


	2. The Wounds We Bear, Together.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Lysithea head out to seek the blessings from Lysithea's parents but something happens...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two of the Our Path Series. I really hope you enjoy reading this one since it was probably my favourite to put together of the four so far. :p

Imperial Year 1191

Day 28 of the Horsebow Moon

Somewhere Deep in the Former Ordelia Territory.

News of their official marriage preparations had finally reached Lysithea's parents, who were overjoyed that their marriage would finally come to pass. They had no objections. Both Hera and Vinmeyer knew how much Lysithea talked about Byleth and how she wished she could see him instead of going to the various roundtable meetings every few weeks. There wasn't a vein in the two of her parents that could possibly object to the marriage after all, their little girl had smiled many times since Byleth and Claude had ended the war, not to mention he saved her life by extracting her twin crests. Hera and Vinmeyer had finally found peace in knowing their daughter would be well taken care of by the man who saved her life, and most importantly, by herself. For Lysithea, easing her parents' worries about her and the land finally granted her peace, but no matter how much she wished for total freedom from the unsavoury memories of her childhood, she feared she would never be free from them. Regardless, Lysithea and Byleth both trudged on through the vast fields of the Ordelia territory with an elite company of royal guards around them, knowing that they were now very close to the Ordelia manor.

"Lysithea, are you feeling well?" Byleth asked in a concerned tone. Lysithea, absorbed in her thoughts, looked a bit pale and definitely not like her normal self. Byleth had seen her like this enough times to guess she was thinking about the painful memories of the blood experiments and being confined to her house by Those Who Slither.

"We can all stop for a moment if you need some water or time to cool off. I've seen you like this many times before, and I want you to know that we all care deeply for you."

"Um... Sure. Thank you Byleth. I could use a break for a few minutes. I'm feeling a bit disoriented and I need to eat a bit of the sandwich you made me." Byleth may have been both King and Archbishop of Fodlan, but he never let his sacred duties change who he was before taking on the role. He still decided to keep fighting if he needed to survive, fish to find food, and make his own meals if he needed to. Like most parents that cooked for their kids, Jeralt's boar sandwich was the absolute best meal that Byleth had ever eaten. He must have inherited his father's talents in preparing meals despite not having children of his own... yet. Lysithea, who normally didn't care for tough foods, like boar meat, actually loved Byleth's sandwiches. Byleth knew he wasn't perfect at everything, after all, nobody really is, but seeing Lysithea devour the boar meat sandwich without a drop water in between made him doubt his imperfections a bit.

"I wonder if I ever looked like that when Jeralt finished made me food." Byleth thought to himself as he made his way over to Lysithea, who was now folding up the sachel that once contained her food and burying it deep in the basket her horse was carrying. 

"Well someone was hungry." Byleth teased as he strode over to her with a glowing smile stretched across his face. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, thanks for taking care of me. I really am the luckiest girl in Fodlan to have someone care for me to this extent." Lysithea replied with a smile matching Byleths that could melt even the most bitter person's heart. "I've never been one for boar meat, but somehow you created a masterpiece that didn't contain a sugary incentive."

"Is that so?" Byleth chuckled thinking back on his father. "I'm sure Jeralt would be proud."

"He should be." Lysithea added encouragingly. "His son avenged him, put an end to the war, ensured the people of Remire village were safe with regular check-ups, found himself a soon-to-be wife, and even knows how to cook and survive on his own if need be. You should be proud of yourself too."

Byleth's face lit up a flush red from Lysithea's praise, but when she was talking, he noticed something on her face. "Lysithea, you've still got a couple crumbs on your face." Lysithea patted around her cheeks and lips but couldn't feel anything.

"Is it gone?" Lysithea asked.

"No. Here, let me get it for you." Byleth tilted Lysithea's head to the right and planted a kiss right on her left cheek.

"Byleth! Ahaha. I should have known you'd-" Lysithea was interrupted when Byleth tilted her head back to the left to check again.

"I think it jumped over here!" Byleth exclaimed as he kissed Lysithea's right cheek this time, which resulted in another series of giggles from Lyisthea.

"Ahahaha, Byleth. Oh my goddess Sothis! Byleth!"

Byleth then examined her forehead closely, his eyes narrowing for a second before he shouted "There's another one! Don't worry, I'll get it for you!" Byleth, for the third time kissed Lysithea, whose cheeks were starting to become flush with laughter, excitement and embarrassment all at once.

"Byleth, wait... Please..." Lysithea tried to finish her sentence but the laughter kept her from catching her breath. Then Byleth looked down at her lips, and shouted once more. "They're making a run for it! I'm going to have to get them all here darling!" Byleth laid kiss upon kiss on Lysithea's lips until both of them fell backwards off the log Lysithea was sitting on and onto the grass where they lay there, laughing with satisfied smiles on their faces.

A few seconds passed with them staring into each other's eyes, but two soldiers ran towards them, worry written on their faces after hearing a thud sound. 

"Are you okay Your Grace and Your Highness?!" One exclaimed.

"Yes, we're perfectly fine. Thank you for coming to check up on us so diligently. I'm glad to have you as one of my guards." Byleth replied, rolling over top of Lysithea and standing up to meet them. "I was just cheering up Lysithea. We should be ready to move out now that everything is put away."

"Oh, okay sir! Thank you for the compliments. We'll notify the other knights to pack up at once." The worried knight responded with both proud and dutiful tones in his voice. The two of them jogged back to give Byleth's information to the other knights standing guard, and Byleth looked back at Lysithea, who was just starting to sit up, finally stifling the last few laughs that were plaguing her. Byleth reached out his hand, and Lysithea took it, boosting her up to face Byleth. Both their hands locked in between each other's , left and right, and the two of them embraced each other with a hug. Lysithea's heart was still beating a bit faster than normal, which eased some of his worries. They then made their way back on to their horses and joined up with the guards, and for the next thirty minutes the marched on in silence, with Byleth occasionally turning his head over at Lysithea to make sure she was still in high spirits. 

Just as Byleth went to check on Lysithea for the twenty-something odd time, he noticed a concrete wall surrounding a three story house he recognized as the Ordelia manor from the four other times he had been invited there by Lysithea and her parents.

"We're finally here Lys." Byleth pointed out.

Lysithea acknowledged Byleth’s remark and turned around to the soldiers to signal that in a few minutes they would be granted a break and were allowed to eat again.

A couple moments later, they arrived at the castle entranceway, and Byleth asked the soldiers to wait until both he and Lysithea talked to Hera and Vinmeyer Ordelia before stowing away their horses in their shelter. When Byleth turned back towards the entranceway, he saw the Ordelia parents walking up to the two of them with open arms.

"Good afternoon Your Grace! Hera exclaimed while shaking Byleth's hand. "Thank you for taking care of our darling girl, and congratulations on the finalizations for the marriage!" There was a particularly more excited sounding tone in Hera's voice when she uttered that last sentence.

"Welcome back home Lysithea." Vinmeyer said as him and Lysithea hugged each other, followed by Hera.

"Thank you for greeting us so kindly Mr. and Mrs. Ordelia. Will you allow my men to walk their horses back to the stables to rest? They've been so diligently escorting us to make sure nothing terrible happened."

"Of course!" Vinmeyer replied, waving his hands over to Byleth's royal guard to signal them to follow him. "Right this way gentlemen, I'll show you where you can rest." The knights of the royal guard filed in line, with two knights taking one of Byleth and Lysithea’s horses with them and followed Vinmeyer to the stables and soon, their voices and murmuring trailed off and out of earshot. Meanwhile Hera finally noticed some of the grass that was stuck in Lysithea's hair from when Byleth was trying to cheer her up less than an hour ago.

"Lysithea, are you hurt?" Hera pointed to the grass nestled in Lysithea's hair, and Lysithea felt around, pulling a couple of grass pieces from her hair.

"Oh." Lysithea answered, aware of what her mother could have thought happened. "We weren't ever attacked, Mom. I was feeling a bit down earlier and Byleth tried to cheer me up. We ended up laughing so hard that we fell into the dirt, but I'm okay. We were just playing around." Lysithea chuckled a bit thinking back on them staring into each other's eyes, still laughing after they fell.

"Well I have a few questions, and a lot to catch up on, but I don't want you two to get sick in this early autumn weather, it can get cold if you aren't moving. Please come inside. You two can also use the washing room to clean yourselves off, but there's only space enough for one at a time, so please keep that in mind." Lysithea and Byleth followed Hera inside, and the difference in temperature changed instantly. The two of them were warming up a lot faster than they had initially thought they would..

"We're in the middle of preparing and making food right now. It should be another hour until we can all eat. You won't need to worry about your royal guard starving however, their food was prepared by the three cooks we have working for us right now. Oh, and Lysithea darling, we've prepared a different room now for you to sleep in that has enough room for Byleth to accompany you if he wishes to.

That last sentence sent a shiver down Lysithea's spine. It was a relief of sorts for her, but hearing her mom address her now old room as if it still was a cursed place confirmed what Lysithea had felt earlier before her and Byleth arrived.

Once Byleth and Lysithea had been given a rundown on what was being made, Vinmeyer returned mentioning the guards accompanying them on their way here were staying in another lot a little ways away from the manor, and the two parents briefly talked about how excited and proud they were to see their daughter married to the one who saved her life, Byleth asked if he could wash off in the washing room before the dinner was served, and went to clean himself off. Lysithea and her parents had time to catch up a bit, and Vinmeyer asked Lysithea to share her story of how they came to decide to become married. Lysithea agreed to tell them her side of the story and what it was like to relive those emotions along the way, with her parents listening eagerly and periodically adding a bit of input and how they felt on the matter with remarks such as "The view sounds gorgeous!" and "I can really feel the passion and love Byleth feels for you." Before the three of them knew it, Byleth had come back from washing off, who had only caught the last few of Lysithea's sentences of her recount of her proposal story.

"Thank you for allowing me to clean myself off Mr. and Mrs. Ordelia." Byleth spoke with gratitude.

"You're most welcome! Anything for you, whose taken Lysithea under your love and care almost as much as we have." Vinmeyer answered. "Lysithea just finished telling us her side of your proposal story, and we'd love to hear your version as well. It was so heart-warming I have to hear both perspectives. But first, Lysithea, you should also clean off before the food finishes. We're already eating pretty late into the night, so after we eat and clean up, we'll all most likely have to go to bed, which sucks considering we've caught wind that you'll only be staying the night and will be staying a week next month instead."

"I was just about to ask to clean off myself." Lysithea responded. "And I'm terribly sorry that we won't be staying too long. But you are correct that we'll be back next month for over a week in the area. Thanks for the concern father." Lysithea got up from the chair she was sitting in and made her way down the hallway Byleth just came back from towards the washing room she had used so many times before.

"Well I'll get started on my side of the story then, but first, if you don't mind, I'd like a drink of water?" Byleth asked.

"Certainly." Hera answered while reaching for the tap water and grabbing a cup. Hera handed the water-filled cup to Byleth and sat down, now waiting for Byleth to tell his side of the story, and tell he did.

Twenty more minutes passed by before Byleth finished the story and the boiling food had come to a stop.

"That was just as great as how Lysithea described it." Vinmeyer said while Hera shifted the pots containing ham, vegetables and potatoes towards the sink drain.

"I'm glad to have told it to you then." Byleth responded. "The food smells great Hera! Thank you once again for providing for us before our arrival."

"You're welcome dear," Hera answered back, "but could you please let Lysithea know that the food is ready? It would be a great help."

"Sure thing!" Byleth replied. He got up once again and made his way down the hallway that led to the washing room, knocking on the door to let Lysithea know the food was finished.

"Food's ready my love!" Byleth called out from behind the door. There was no response. "My love? Lysithea?!" Byleth called out once more, slightly concerned. He couldn't hear any water, or anything at all but the door was closed, and he was sure Lysithea was inside. He let a few seconds pass by, but there was still no reply. Byleth was about to enter when he heard Lysithea faintly respond.

"Sorry, you can enter. I-I was just spacing out a bit. Thinking again." Lysithea sounded a bit hesitant, which made Byleth worry a bit more, but this time he was almost certain it had to do with this place and what happened to her here. 

"Okay, I'm coming inside now. Are you okay?" Byleth replied softly. He turned the handle and pushed in the door where he was greeted by a thick, warm steam, likely from the warm water and soap. Once the mist dissipated he saw Lysithea hunched over the sink on the right side of the wall, still a bit lost in thought with a slightly saddened expression on her face.

"Lysithea, you've been thinking about your old room again, haven't you?" Byleth asked, still keeping a soft tone laced with concern and worry. "I want you to know that I'm not just here to cheer you up, I'm also here to lift you up." Silence hung heavily in the already thick, steamy air for a few seconds until Lysithea wiped a tear from her left eye, turned to face Byleth and fell into his chest.

"I'm just so scared, Byleth." Lysithea cried out, trying fruitlessly to stop the tears from now flooding down her exhausted face. "I know we eliminated Those Who Slither, but I'm still so very scared. I worry that one day I'll wake up ill because the crest removal didn't completely succeed, or that I won't wake up at all. Before you showed up, I had resolved to do all that I could to comfort my parents, who also share the same burden I do, knowing full well I would die without having lived a day for myself, but now that I have this hope, that I have you, and everything seems to be going well, I truly fear that I still may die young. I don't want to lose you Byleth. I don't. I just don't and I've never even told anyone else about how I feel until now! I know that you can't bring me back to life if it turns out my worries are right, so I didn't want to impose that burden on anyone else that I loved." At this point, Lysithea couldn't even stand, so Byleth sat down and held her head close to his chest, stroking her hair, trying to ease her discomfort as much as he could. Lysithea gave up on wiping her tears, she had already decided to let her emotions out in full force. She was now fighting against her super shaky breathing and running nose.

"Lys," Byleth spoke, breaking the stagnant tension. "If you feel like you're a burden to me, you're not, and you never will be. I truly hate what Those Who Slither have done to you, and I'll never regret doing all I could to save you from your twin implanted crests, because if it gives you even one more minute of life that you don't have to worry, fearing you could drop dead any moment, it will have been time worth spent. Don't you see? I'd trade my life for yours in a heartbeat. I'd give up a thousand years just to walk with you again if you had passed, and if, in the end I wasn't able to save you, for your sake, I'd never stay stuck in mourning. I know you'd want me to live for your sake, regardless of how much I missed you. You were ready to do the same for your parents, so I at least know what it feels like to love someone so much, all you want to do is make sure they're happy for the rest of their days. To me, that someone is you, Lysithea. So please, always tell me what has you down, worried or terrified. For me, it's my duty to always lift you back up along the way. As long as I'm here, you won't ever be stuck on your path in life, because you won't know where it ends when you walk it along the way."

Lysithea looked up at Byleth, still drawing shaky breaths, but the tears racing down her face were tears of relief instead of sorrow, and her eyes glowed once more.

"Byleth, I-I'm so sorry to have worried you, I... I should have told you sooner." Lysithea gripped tightly to Byleth's back and the two sat there in shocked silence for a while.

Byleth sighed in relief at being able to calm Lysithea's rampant nerves. Being honest with himself, most of what he said just came pouring out from him. He probably couldn't give that exact response again if he tried. If there was one thing the lack of words between the two meant, it was their being in agreeance that they were glad they had now lifted the burden off of Lysithea's chest and in turn, atop of both of theirs.

"Lysithea, your burdens are my burdens. Come to me anytime for help. Don't worry about bringing the mood down, or if it's a bad time, because it will all level out in the end. Just like this." Byleth spoke, gripping hold of Lysithea in return. "Let me know when you want to return to the kitchen, and we'll eat, okay?"

"Okay." Lysithea responded, finally stabilizing all of her emotions and wiping the last tears from her face. She got up and ran her hands under some warm water to wipe away the tears from her face and fixed most of her hair back into place, turned around to Byleth, and said "I'm ready now."

The couple walked back into the kitchen, where Hera and Vinmeyer waited for them patiently. They must have heard quite a bit because they didn't ask what had taken them so long. They greeted us with warm, but faint smiles and turned to each other, nodding about something that took place while Byleth and Lysithea were talking in the washing room before cutting apart the food and splitting it across four plates. The four of them ate in relative silence besides a few questions such as "How is the food?" or "Are you feeling tired yet?" and once the food on everyone's plates had finished, Lysithea asked to go to the new room early since she was feeling very drained. Byleth helped both Hera and Vinmeyer clean up some of the dishes, and Byleth then joined Lysithea in the new room, where he was greeted by Lysithea, already lying down, barely awake, but waiting for him nonetheless. Byleth slipped in with her underneath the covers and the two fell asleep rather quickly. That night, both Byleth and Lysithea got the best, well rested sleep, free of burdens. Greater than the rest they had gotten the day Byleth proposed to her, and then when they woke up the next morning, they were told by Hera that it was already time to leave and that Byleth's royal knights had been waiting for ten minutes.

Shocked by how long they slept in for, Byleth ran down the stairs and asked forgiveness of the knights who were waiting inside, cluttering the first few hallways closest to the entranceway. 

"I'm so sorry my knights, it was a very exhausting day for us yesterday so I beg forgiveness from you and ask that you wait here a few moments longer while me and Lysithea say our thanks and goodbyes to both Hera and Vinmeyer." After the knights accepted his apology, Byleth then ran back up the stairs where he found Lysithea also ready and packed to leave. 

"Hey Byleth!" She called out. "I didn't get a chance to truly thank you for all that you helped me with yesterday. I just wanted to say thank you so much. I'm very glad to have someone as accepting as you here for me, and I'll always stand by you as a result of it. Forever." Lysithea kissed Byleth on the cheek, and whispered in his ear "I love you sweetie." 

"I love you too, Lysithea, and I always will." Byleth responded.

Lysithea ran down the stairs to go say goodbye to her parents, and Byleth followed suit. Both of them promised to come back the next month for a week and a half, but before Byleth left, Vinmeyer asked to talk with him briefly. He pulled Byleth aside and made it clear that what he was about to say to Byleth was, at present, for his ears alone, but to only be shared with Lysithea.

"Byleth, I really want to thank you for taking care of my little girl yesterday. Hera and I heard the whole conversation back there in the washing room, and from the way you spoke out of your heart like that to her, it's clear to me that you're the only one that I trust to keep her safe for us in my stead. Any shred of doubt, no matter how small it may have been previously about you being the one my daughter marries has vanished without a trace after hearing what you said and how you dealt with my daughter yesterday. I'm truly grateful to you, and you can rely on me to help you any time, okay? Now, get back out there and make it home with Lysithea safe so you can hold the wedding ceremony as soon as you can. Be sure to visit again in a month, and once again, thank you."

"Mr. Ordelia, I-I'm at a loss for words." Byleth stammered.

"You don't have to say anything or thank me. If you want to repay me for my blessing, just promise me you'll stick true to your words from yesterday, which I'm sure you will."

"Alright, sir. We'll be off then." Byleth proudly walked back to his horse, saddled on top, and nodded towards Vinmeyer Ordelia, who nodded back and saluted him before Byleth, Lysithea and the royal guards set off back to Garegg Mach Monastery. The ride back was full of bright and cheery conversations, unlike the ride there, but before they arrived back in Garegg Mach, Lysithea and Byleth had one final thing to say to each other.

"Byleth?" Lysithea asked.

"Yes, Lysithea?" Byleth replied.

"Last night I had the best sleep I've had in over a decade, and I know that as long as we keep lifting each other back up along the way, we'll be able to survive any obstacle. You know that, right?" Lysithea said proudly.

"Of course I do Lysithea. From now on, any wounds you may be forced to bear, we will endure together. Forever, and always."

Fin.

Link to a Bysithea discord I run with many other AO3 Bysithea writers, artists and fans: https://discord.gg/8ZjK5zk

We're dedicated to our ship and we want to share our home and creativity with everyone here as well. With writers like myself, SuperbOwl, Kenji1104 and Hazeel and artists like dannex009, we offer a lot of conversation about the ship, the behind the scenes prompts, funny dialogue and even teasers to what is to come in our stories. Drop by and chat with us some time, just tell the others you discovered the server through me. (I'm kidding about that last part). <3


	3. The Sweetest Slice.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for Lysithea and Byleth to become married at their Royal Wedding, but Lysithea seems to feel off about everything. What could be troubling her? How will it resolve? WILL it resolve?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third chapter, The Sweetest Slice which takes place after A Night to Remember and The Wounds We Bear, Together. This was also uploaded before but I wanted to group it all together, so here it is.

Imperial Year 1191

Day 9 of the Red Wolf Moon

Archbishop Byleth's Room

"Stay calm Lysithea." Lysithea chided herself. "I know it's a big day, but nearly hyperventilating over it isn't going to get you anywhere." Lysithea rapidly fanned her cheeks with both hands, trying to cool herself down. Knowing that Byleth would be coming to check on her soon, she tried her best to clear away her stress, but she knew her anxiety wouldn't hide its face that easily. Just then Lysithea heard footsteps coming from the direction of the stairs who she assumed were Byleth's, coming to check on her. "Perfect timing as usual." Lysithea thought to herself as she walked over to the bed and sat atop it, still mired in her almost overwhelming stress.

"Lysithea?" Byleth called as he climbed the stairs. Byleth had a slice of cake topped with mousse on a plate in his right hand which he hoped would get Lysithea to open up about her nervousness. Byleth wasn't perfect by any means either. He was also feeling anxious in the pit of his stomach, but it was an anxiety completely separate of it's other forms. This anxiety was mostly accompanied by a rush of jumbled, happy emotions, whereas the battlefield anxiety was coupled with worrying. Jeralt had already taught him to clear away his battlefield anxiety and open up about it after the fight was finished since daydreaming or worrying is a sure way to be killed as a mercenary, but Byleth doubted Jeralt would have had a solution for this type of anxiety.

"There you are Lys! I knew I'd find you here." Byleth, relieved that he had found Lysithea in time, sighed happily.  
Lysithea looked up at Byleth and asked him to sit and talk with her for a few minutes, to which Byleth agreed to and made his way over to the bed and sat down next to her.

"So you're nervous too, huh?" Byleth asked.

"Yeah. It's kind of impossible to not be on a day like today." Lysithea replied.

"No kidding." Byleth responded. "Even though we've been rigorously practicing for this day over the last month and I feel confident I won't mess up, I still can't, and I know I won't be able to shake this feeling of nervousness rooted within me. It's the day of our wedding after all. It's meant to be the biggest day of my life. Our lives."

"I knew it wouldn't disappear, but I still had to calm down for the sake of the others waiting downstairs. Sweat was pouring from my forehead faster than I could wipe it off." Lysithea said with a smile back on her face.

"There's that astounding smile I've come to know and love Lysithea." Byleth reached over and held Lysithea's hand in his own. "We're going to be just fine. Everything will work out, and I'm sure that we'll be so overcome with joy after the ceremony is over that it will totally clear the anxiety we are feeling right now from our thoughts." Byleth stood up and remembered he had brought a slice of cake with him rhat he was holding in his hand the entire time. "I brought you a slice of the cake Luìs our baker and head chef had made a day ago. I understand you might not want it now since there will be a wedding cake later, but I think you should eat it so your nerves don't make you feel too sick during the whole ceremony."

"But my face will get all messy, and I'll ruin my makeup. It will be a big hassle to try and fix myself up again and you know we don't have time for this." Lysithea replied with furrowed eyebrows and a soft, saddened expression in her eyes. She gathered herself and realized what she said might have come out a bit harsher than she intended. "I'm sorry if that came out a little too brash sounding Byleth. You tempted me with cake I couldn't have right now after all, and you know how much I love sweets. I know you didn't mean to, or that the thought didn't cross your mind since you just wanted to take care of me, but I'm a bit flustered right now."

Lysithea stood up, fixing her long gown and brides veil. Byleth stared at his soon-to-be wife with warm eyes, privy to shedding a tear at any moment. He couldn't help looking at the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Stunning, and glowing radiantly. He found it near impossible to velieve that the mercenary teacher from the last ten years was about to wed a girl this captivating both inside and out. He almost had to slap himself to break out of the trance he so easily found himself in. Byleth closed his jaw and gently dabbed his eyelids to avoid tearing up at the most inopportune time, and stood up beside Lysithea, who only now noticed him gawking at her in disbelief.

"Hey handsome, you might want to take in as much as you can since this is the only day you can." Lysithea teased. In truth, this had only been the first time she had seen Byleth look proper and in a suit. She could tell he wasn't used to it because he kept trying to straighten out his posture and continuously fidgeted with the sides of his suit pockets despite being told by gis trusted confidant and retainer Varella that he would smudge sweat into it if he kept it up. Lysithea couldn't blame him though, she too felt a little too out of her element with the fancy beads and silk wrapped around her body, and flower necklace. She thanked Sothis that she wasn't allergic to any of the flowers around her neck. Even the veil she wore was too long, she wasn't used to tripping over it, and she likely never would be. The one thing she worried most about was tripping and falling during the aisle walk and ruining the wedding forever. "This wasn't a normal wedding that a few of her family members could tell the others to not spread word of if she messed up," Lysithea told herself a few hours ago when the worry and panic first started to make an appearance, "This was a royal wedding, and there was no way some guy with a book and quill wouldn't secretly write about her stumbling and add it to the history books."

"Are you ready to return downstairs Lysithea?" Byleth asked, placing his left hand on Lysithea's right shoulder. Lysithea blinked three times in quick succession and almost had to take a step back from being so lost in the swamp of her fears in the belly of bottomless chasm in her imagination. "I'm fairly certain the guests and travelling reverand have been waiting at least for me to show up and take my place for five minutes now."

"I'm sorry Byleth, let's go." Lysithea responded, still trying to shake some of her doubts away and out of her mind. The two walked side by side, hand in hand out of Archbishop Byleth's room and down the two sets of staircases with Byleth once again trying to relax Lysithea and reassure her that she looked lovely and that she would be fine, and that moment seemed to blur past both of them because their brains only seemed to tell them what was going on when they were about to walk right into Vinmeyer Ordelia, Lysithea's father.

"Woah woah you two lovebirds." Vinmeyer chuckled while stepping aside, trying to alert them that they were about to walk into a table. "Thank you for taking care of my little girl Byleth, I'm happy for the two of you."

Byleth, who was busy reassuring Lysithea that the night was sure to be splendid, finally looked up and realized where he was. He had almost guided Lysithea and himself into a table full of refreshments.

"Phew, Count Ordelia! It's great that you spoke to us when you did." Byleth lightly shuddered thinking of the disaster that could have happened if he had taken a few more steps. "Here I was trying to convince your daughter that everything would go smoothly when I was moments away from living my worst nightmare as of late myself! Thanks for looking out for us again."

"Are you nervous then Byleth?" Hera Ordelia asked out of curiosity. She had been standing next to Vinmeyer before Byleth and Lysithea had shown up, forcing the two to separate.

"Yes. We both are, but we've got no choice but to go out there for the sake of our future." Byleth answered while fidgeting with his pockets again.

"Right you are!" Vinmeyer replied. "I'll take great care of Lysithea while you're out there waiting for her to enter. Every couple gets extremely nervous on their wedding day, but there's a better time for conversing than now, you're late. The reverand has been waiting for over five minutes now, so go on Byleth! Everything will be just fine!"

"Right. Thank you." Byleth replied while briskly walking towards the doors that led to the spot in the amiibo gazebo he was asked to stand. Vinmeyer and Hera hugged Lysithea tightly and they prepared a couple times for when Vinmeyer would walk Lysithea down the aisle to Byleth before actually getting into place.

The clanging of a bell told them that the wedding ceremony had started, and strangely enough, for both Byleth and Lysithea, their previous almost overwhelming anxiety faded away, chased out by their minds which shut down for a while. Byleth should have been focusing on the scripture passages and general thanks to the audience members and all family present including the soon-to-be wedded couple, but he couldn't get the image of Lysithea in her white, purple and red wedding gown out of his mind from back in the tower. He didn't know how many minutes went by because he kept thinking of the bright future they were going to have as well as the memories he wished to retain of this day when he barely heard the Reverend speak the words "I now call upon the bride to enter with her father down the wedding aisle."

Everyone in attendance turned their heads towards the red and gold curtains shielding the opening to watch Lysithea and Vinmeyer walk through while purple lilac petals rained down from the second floor. Byleth, who had thought he had seen the most beautiful sight before in his room was completely blown away once more. This time however, he allowed his eyes to take a snapshot of his love and fixed his slack jaw and bugged out eyes immediately in order to retain his composure. Lysithea then arrived and stood in her position facing Byleth and the two locked eyes together, and in that moment, time almost seemed to grant them a moment of silence as they stared into the great beyond through each other's eyes. They were taken back to the days when they used to be teacher and student, and when they were fighting alongside each other during the five year long War for The Freedom of Fodlan, also known as the War of Liberation, and then to the five years after the War of Liberation when they were cruelly separated by fate while Lysithea had to meet with many of the other Alliance Nobles in the many roundtable conferences, then finally with Byleth slipping the ring onto Lysithea's pinky finger while they stared at the gorgeous sunset, the day they finally moved forward with their marriage plans as Lysithea relinquished the Ordelia territory to Lorenz. The memories ended abruptly and the two had realized it had been a long eleven years since they had known each other. Byleth being allowed to see Lysithea from back when she was fifteen and then within the blink of an eye, see how far she had come, standing before him at the age of twenty-six now almost made his eye tear up once more. "It had really been eleven years..." Byleth thought in his mind. "I've waited so long for this moment, and I'm sure you felt just as impatient as I have these years." Lysithea replied as if she and Byleth had a magical link with each other and could telepathically talk with each other. Then in harmony, they both cried out in their minds "And I'd never trade this moment for anything else!" 

As they snapped back to reality, they heard the Reverend talking. "Byleth, do you take Lysithea to be your wife for the rest of your days, through thick and thin?" It appeared they had spoken and recited their vows already while thinking back on the times that lead up to now, as odd as that was.

"I do." Byleth spoke confidently.

"And do you, Lysithea, take Byleth to be your husband for the rest of your life, as long as it will be?" The Reverend asked Lysithea, turning to face her.

"I do." Lysithea answered with no hesitation whatsoever.

"Then the two of you may kiss under the holy protection of our goddess. May your days together be long and full of warmth." The Reverend closed off his speech.

"I love you Byleth." Lysithea proclaimed.

"I love you too Lysithea, and I always will." Byleth responded.

The two of them held onto each other. Byleth grabbed Lysithea by the waist and Lysithea held onto Byleth's upper back just underneath his armpits and the two locked lips for what felt like an eternity. Byleth noticed Lysithea's lips tasted of cherries blossoming in the summer, full of warmth and giving off a calming feeling, as if they were by a lake, relaxing close to the tide and listening to the waves crash ashore on a nice evening with nobody around for miles. In this moment, all worries, doubts and fears they previously had melted away upon contact with each other. This newfound excitement they had built in a matter of a few seconds completely had them head over heels for each other once again. They felt as their two spirits finally fell at ease next to one another and held hands. They had the feeling those hands were clasped together permanently now.

"I have no idea what the future holds in store for us," Lysithea started to speak to Byleth, "but if every moment feels like an eternity with you by my side, I'll never have to second-guess my life again."

"I don't really have anything wise to say to you right now Lysithea, all I know is that no matter what time of day it is, how far apart we'll be or who dares to try and keep us from seeing each other, I promise I'll never stop loving you my sweet." Byleth responded.

"Speaking of sweets Byleth, I"ve found a new craving, even surpassing my love for cake."

"Oh? This is news to me."

"When I was mulling over some thoughts earlier in the tower before you arrived and helped me calm down, I realized something. Because of you, I can look at how short my life may have been, or still can be, and I can truly say it was a life worth living." Lysithea said while letting her happy tears flow from the corners of her eyes. "The sweets I now crave are the memories we make along the way Byleth, and in this moment, I can proudly say I'm feasting on the sweetest slice of life that I've ever had the chance to indulge myself in. You brought meaning back into my life, which I thought nearly impossible all those years ago, and then you brought me joy, which I thought was forever out of my reach. Now you've given me the future for us to spend together, and I intend to make you feel the same way as I do for the rest of our lives together."

"Lysithea," Byleth replied with tears now running down the sides of his cheeks, "I promise to bring you happiness and more back into your life. I'll hold you dear to me, always and forever."

Everyone had gotten up to go sit down and wait at their tables for the newlywed couple to join them, and Byleth started to turn to follow.

"Well then Lysithea, shall we join them?" Byleth asked as he started to walk down the carpeted floor to join the rest of the guests. Lysithea put her hand on his shoulder this time, and pulled him back into a tight embrace.

"Just a little while longer Byleth." Lysithea whispered pleadingly into his ear. "Let's enjoy this sweet moment together."

Fin.

Link to a Bysithea discord I run with many other AO3 Bysithea writers, artists and fans: https://discord.gg/8ZjK5zk

We're dedicated to our ship and we want to share our home and creativity with everyone here as well. With writers like myself, SuperbOwl, Kenji1104 and Hazeel and artists like dannex009, we offer a lot of conversation about the ship, the behind the scenes prompts, funny dialogue and even teasers to what is to come in our stories. Drop by and chat with us some time, just tell the others you discovered the server through me. (I'm kidding about that last part). <3


	4. The Life We Lead.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the couple have gotten married they decide to take their honeymoon. Seven days away from the stressful and hard-working lives the two lead as now ruling King and Queen of Fodlan. What will their first night be like?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fourth chapter or installment of the Our Path series. This is so far the only piece of writing published on here that I took in two different sessions to write. I hope you've been enjoying the series so far all! <3

Imperial Year 1191

Day 11 of the Red Wolf Moon

Marketplace Front

Lysithea and Byleth had lined up with their baggage, ready to leave the castle's walls and head out on their honeymoon. They had requested only one driver of their royal carriage instead of the Kings Guards to accompany them for privacy purposes.

"It still feels so new." Lysithea mouthed the words while staring at the beautiful blue sky. The last few days had been sunny and the sky was as clear as it could be. It was almost as if Sothis was controlling the weather for the two Royal Lovebirds, however, it was just a really nice set of days. There was a mild breeze and it wasn't too chilly either. If there was one thing Lysithea loved about the outside, it allowed her feel free from her worldly ties, as if the wind itself would gently lift her up and tell her "I know you've had a hard life but I'll show you places you've never seen and travel with you on an adventure that anyone would envy."

Byleth glanced over at his beauteous wife in her scarlet laced dress and replied back. "It's the start of our journey together as one. We were always intertwined but two days ago we finally became one body officially."

Lysithea giggled a bit at Byleths last sentence. "That's kind of ironic coming from the guy who merged with The Progenitor God." Her cheeks began to turn a flush, rose colour, signifying her enjoyment. It wasn't the joke she made that let her feel giggly and ecstatic-feeling though, ever since the two of them became married it was almost like she had become high on life. It wasn't just Lysithea however, Varella, Byleth's closest advisor had pointed out that there wasn't a time she saw him not have a grin stretched across his face throughout the last two days.

The Newlywed King of Fodlan grinned ear to ear, almost ready to crack up himself. He placed his right hand on Lysithea's left shoulder and spoke while staring into his wife's wondrously gleaming eyes. "Quite the jokester today huh?"

Just then the carriage arrived and the driver, whose name was Taylor hopped off of his wooden seat and opened the door for the two lovebirds. The carriage was painted white and green with a beaded overlay out of cornflower blue slaked across the bottom of the carriage to make it stand out more.

"I guess that's for us then My Sweet." Lysithea spoke in response to Taylor bowing to them. "Ready?"

Byleth grabbed hold of his luggage and started walking towards the carriage with Lysithea. "Always, My Darling."

The two greeted Taylor, thanked him for getting the carriage ready and entered into the sitting compartment. They sat on the cushioned seats and closed their door, signalling to Taylor that they were ready to ride. Taylor then clambered back on top of his wooden seat and told the horses to head off and get moving again. Just like that, they were off and moving. Both the King and Queen of Fodlan's hearts jumped up into their throats from the tense nervousness flying rampantly through the once comforting air. Of course the two had known this was going to happen to them since it flared up at the Royal Wedding as well but they knew that they would finally have a little time to themselves. First there was The War for the Freedom of Fodlan, then the countless councils for the transferring of governance of the Ordelia territory, and then they had to practice for the rehearsals and put into motion the wedding plans. They were more than stoked to have a little time to themselves that nobody could interfere with. It almost put a knot in their throats out of sheer anticipation.

The couple passed by trees, valleys, rivers, lakes, logs, campfires and many more green sceneries before asking how long they were from arriving at their Beach Resort and Summer Home. Unfortunately Taylor replied back with "Just a few more hours Your Highnesses." It had already been a few hours, and Byleth knew it would take almost seven hours to arrive there which was why they left earlier than they normally would have but it had felt like longer.

"I didn't know it was going to feel extremely long when I got in the carriage to arrive at the Summer Home you have." Lysithea murmured to Byleth, who had now had his head laid to rest on the top of the cushioned seat, trying to get some rest. "So you're tired as well?"

"Oh yeah, big time." Byleth responded, not moving either his head or neck. "I'm hoping to get some sleep and not run into any bumps in the path we are taking. It usually rains around this time of year so I'm expecting a couple, but I'm still going to try and get my rest. How about you?"

Lysithea rested her head on Byleth's left shoulder and folded her arms side by side on his lap, relaxing her eyes. "I'm going to try to get some rest as well, I'm exhausted and there isn't much to point out anymore in the scenery."

"That's good to hear then," Byleth acknowledged, shaking his right leg a bit to try to get comfortable. "I was worried you would be awake by yourself for a few hours just staring outside, bored out of your mind."

After their little exchange the two of them slowly drifted off to sleep and were undisturbed until they arrived. Lysithea had dreamed about all the fun things they could do and try together that they hadn't had time for previously. The sleepy couple were awoken by Taylor opening the door to let them out.

"Are we here?" Byleth asked groggily.

"We are Your Majesty." Taylor responded. "How were your naps?"

"Awesome," Byleth answered. You must be a great driver for not driving into the puddles and dips that would have woken us up. Sorry you couldn't get a break or nap either though Taylor.

"That's all right Milord, I'll get plenty of much required rest later when I walk the horses into the stables and detach the carriage." Taylor remarked.

"Well then, thank you for your help Taylor." Lysithea spoke with heavy eyelids. "You mustn't worry about our baggage though, we'll save you the trouble and carry it up ourselves. Get some good rest.

"Of course, My Queen." Taylor agreed. "I'll leave you to enjoy your honeymoon now."

Taylor closed the door on the carriage and started to walk the horses down the slope they rode up on partially and to the left towards a holding place with stables. The door was a nice mahogany brown and vines were painted on either side of it to give it an extra exotic feel to it. Byleth and Lysithea walked up the cobblestone pathing to the top of the hill and read the sign on the doors. It read "Walk in Your Majesties, we are preparing dinner for you as you are reading. Byleth and Lysithea took the note down and entered the lodging where they were surprised and greeted by four cooks. "Welcome and enjoy your stay!" The four chefs yelled out in perfect unison, waving their hands back and forth, inviting them into their house.

Lysithea had never seen this place before; it was absolutely stunning in every perceptible way. The ceiling was much higher than her seven foot ceiling at home, not that she needed it to be, beautifully chiseled stone lanterns were built in on the walls and unlike the mossy stone bricks built into the front of the building, most of the interior was made of plastic coated, shaven, and buffered wood logs. The room was much warmer than the outside due to the fireplace built in, which made her skin tingle almost like flickering embers were dancing on her skin to warm her up. There wasn't a single fault or bad design choice in the kitchen either, which almost matched the royal dining hall. "Luìs would almost be jealous of this kitchen." The shocked Queen thought to herself in awe.

After Lysithea was given a tour of the interior they moved on to the outside and the balcony view. What she saw off of the balcony were beautiful trees stretching 200 feet and a gorgeous beach that glowed golden and pink thanks to the colours off of the sunset, her favourite view so far. Lysithea loved to stare at different environments. It made her feel like the cost of living had an actual purpose and nothing could make her feel better than having a life worth living. As unfortunate as the events that had happened to her were, they allowed her to discover her own way of life, which was a spectacle to behold for all who were still searching. It was proof that good things can come from bad experiences and no matter how bad things can get, you can still recover. This view reminded her of the life she was living and the life her children would live which made her feel immeasurably happy that her children would grow up as burden-free as possible, without spoiling them of course. "Children?" She thought to herself. "I guess… I guess having children with Byleth wouldn't be so bad. I really would want to start a family with him." Lysithea almost lost herself in the whirlwind that was her spiraling thought process and decided to ask Byleth if he wanted to join her at the beach for a private talk.

"Would you maybe want to wait for dinner to be finished and take a walk on the golden beach while we wait Byleth?" Lysithea proposed.

"That's a wonderful idea my wife! I'd love to go on a walk with you on the golden grains of sand. The air is so pure here, it refreshes my mind and body." Byleth accepted.

"I didn't know you were a guru Byleth ahahaha!" Lysithea laughed in response to his 'spiritual energy sermon'.

"Well I didn't know either." Byleth chuckled. "I honestly don't know which it is that's allowing me to feel so cleansed though. Is it you and I being married or the high of it all affecting my life in such a welcomed way?"

"Well if I had to guess, that would be me because I'm the best thing in your world." Lysithea playfully snickered, half-joking with him.

"I did marry you for a reason, My Dearest." Byleth stated. "But let's go ahead onto that beach, okay?"

The two walked through the mini-forest and breached the clearing until they arrived on the beach side, hand in hand. 

"So what did you want to talk about Lysithea?" Byleth asked.

"You know me that well then, huh?" Lysithea responded with a smile on her face and a twinkle in the corners of her eyes. "Well the truth is Byleth, I'm extremely grateful for the life you have given me and I kind of feel less than adequate in giving you back what you gave me."

"Lysithea… You mean the world to me." Byleth started. "I love you more than life itself and if you feel like you have to work harder to repay me, stay with me throughout my rule as King of Fodlan. That's how you can help me for the rest of your days."

"Byleth…" Lysithea called to him while staring him in the eyes. "I will stay with you, even after and in death. I just don't feel like I'm giving you enough back for this love and life you have given me."

"Lys, no matter how much love I have given you and how much you have given me, I chose you to be my wife just as you chose me to be your husband. I love all your faults and flaws and I certainly never want you to be hurting like this without you letting me know ASAP to fix it." Byleth felt like he was on a roll now with his heart telling him what to say. "As for the amount of love you give me, I'm not comparing at all Lysithea. I want you to know that we are one. We even swore so at our wedding. We've become one person and one couple now so that means you're giving me your love as well as the love you hold for yourself which is more than I've ever felt deserving of."

"Yeah, okay. I understand what you're saying Byleth." Lysithea nodded back at him, letting him know his words were very appreciated and held dear to her. "Thanks for letting me express some of my feelings."

"I'll always hear you out, My Love, but there's just a bit more I have to say to you now that I'm on a roll here." Byleth stopped walking and grasped both of his wife's hands tightly and embraced them, pulling her closer to him in a loving manner. "I may have given you your whole life back if that's what has gotten you caught up in trying to repay a debt, but you have given my life purpose Lysithea. You're constantly filling my body in new sections with your kindness and care which gives me this surge of energy whenever I need to get something done. Maybe you never knew but before I met you, I had never felt a thing. I never cried, laughed, cared, knew how to love, the list goes on and on. You brought me the ability to show emotions and tell people I care. To have a heart and to power through the things I need to do to get back to you instead of just doing what I was told. The powers you have given me are the powers an everyday person has access to. You gave me a normal life just like I gave you back yours. I wanted to help you with yours because I was saved by you in the first place. If you ask me, that's a life for a life right there. You and I are equal in more ways than one and we always will be. So come hell or high water, no matter how bleak the road may look, no matter how many more bricks I'll have to lay with you, let's get to building that foundation because nothing is going to stop us, My Queen."

"My Love!" Lysithea shouted, tearing up a little. "You truly know what to say to me. You know what I'm going through. You're like a wizard. A wizard I'd be proud to be with. Thank you for picking me back up."

"Anytime Lysithea, anytime." Byleth couldn't stop staring at his gorgeous wife and held her left cheek in his left hand. He then kissed her in the forehead and the two hugged it out for a few moments underneath the setting sun. The wind began to pick up around then from the sea breeze and the tide started to close in with the moon's arrival. The two broken halves had finally become whole on that night; they could feel it in the air after their heartfelt conversation. They eventually let go of each other and stood face to face.

"Byleth, what would you say if I asked you about having kids?" Lysithea curiously asked.

"Yes. I'd love to have children with you." Byleth responded instantly and bluntly. His quick answer threw Lysithea off guard, he could see it on her face. He gave her a reassuring smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That was such a fast reply Byleth. Are you sure?" Lysithea asked with a tearful look in her eyes and a smile stretched across her face.

"I've thought about it for a while, sugarplum. I want to start a family with you." Byleth spoke softly with such powerful emotion that tears started to flood from Lysithea's face. Happy tears.

"I'm- I'm sooo happy then Byleth. You've made me the happiest woman in Fodlan!" Lysithea wiped her happy tears from her face in order to see again but just then a chilly breeze sent a shiver down her spine and she shuddered.

"Come My Queen. Let's head back inside." Byleth put his arm around Lysithea's back and helped guide her back to the Summer Home, the food wafting through the chimney and over the wind to their noses.

"It smells amazing." Byleth's eyes widened and his nose twitched in excitement.

"As long as it has a good sweets to healthiness ratio, I'm fine." Lysithea commented.

Byleth looked at his wife's hand he was holding dearly and replied: "I've got the sweetness I need to enjoy my life right in front of me."

Fin.

Link to a Bysithea discord I run with many other AO3 Bysithea writers, artists and fans: https://discord.gg/8ZjK5zk

We're dedicated to our ship and we want to share our home and creativity with everyone here as well. With writers like myself, SuperbOwl, Kenji1104 and Hazeel and artists like dannex009, we offer a lot of conversation about the ship, the behind the scenes prompts, funny dialogue and even teasers to what is to come in our stories. Drop by and chat with us some time, just tell the others you discovered the server through me. (I'm kidding about that last part). <3

**Author's Note:**

> Link to a Bysithea discord I run with many other AO3 Bysithea writers, artists and fans: https://discord.gg/8ZjK5zk
> 
> There will be more chapters still in the future so if you need to, bookmark this series. Any advice or support you want to show, feel free to leave it down in the comment section below, I'll respond when I see it! If you liked this series, don't forget to give it a kudos as well. Lastly, I give you permission to share this story with anyone who wants to read some Bysithea (Byleth and Lysithea) fanfiction. Lastly, a shout out to user kenji1104 for letting me have early access to AO3 with his code two months ago. Much love readers! <3


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